Chandigarh, Oct. 9 -- Booked as "accused number 1" by the CBI in a corruption case linked to transfers and postings in the Punjab government, the chief minister's officer on special duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman has had an extraordinary trajectory-from a little-known party loyalist before the 2022 assembly elections to one of the most influential figures in the Chief Minister's Office. Ghuman, 42, was virtually unknown in Punjab's political circles, even within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) when Bhagwant Mann became chief minister in 2022. But his course changed dramatically after he was appointed OSD to Mann, with whom his association goes back to the latter's days as the Sangrur Lok Sabha MP between 2014 and 2022. A native of Gharachon village in Sangrur district, Ghuman comes from a modest Jat Sikh farming family. His father was the village sarpanch. Holding a BTech degree in mechanical engineering, Ghuman had worked as a lecturer at Bhai Gurdas College before entering Mann's political orbit. In CMO, he controls access to Mann, handles his day-to-day schedule and coordinates with AAP's senior leaders in Delhi - a role that explains unrivalled power quotient. Notwithstanding his heavy-duty responsibilities in CMO, he recently completed his doctorate in philosophy (PhD) from Punjabi University, Patiala. According to some of Ghuman's college mates, his proximity to Mann predates the AAP government by more than a decade. Around 2010, a group of youngsters from Ghuman's village invited Mann, then a hugely popular professional comedian, to perform at a social programme. When Mann did not charge for the event, the interaction became the beginning of a relationship that gradually deepened. When Mann became the Sangrur MP in 2014, Ghuman's involvement in his political affairs multiplied. Not pursuing political ambitions himself, he subsequently moved to Canada with his family, returning only in 2022, shortly before the Punjab assembly elections. After the AAP came to power, Ghuman emerged as one of Mann's closest aides in the CMO. During the period when then AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha was widely regarded as the key political manager of the Punjab government, Ghuman's influence was considered relatively restricted, largely to select areas including the postings of police officials such as SPs and DSPs. Following the AAP's defeat in the 2025 Delhi assembly elections, discussions over a possible reshuffle of key political faces in Punjab reportedly intensified. Sources claimed Chadha had favoured Ghuman's removal from the CMO, citing serious concerns. Mann, however, is understood to have resisted the move and stood by his aide. After Chadha's eventual exit from the AAP following differences with the party's national leadership, Ghuman's influence began to grow substantially. Political and bureaucratic insiders credit him with playing a behind-the-scenes role in political management, organisational affairs and election-related arrangements, including bypolls. Some also describe him as an important link between Mann and the party's national leadership. His proximity to Vibhav Kumar, a close aide of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, has also been a talking point within government and party circles. Over the past few months, Ghuman sought to expand his political footprint beyond the CMO. Sources said he helped bring several youth leaders into the party fold, including faces from sports and rival political outfits. He would often meet people at House Number 50 in Chandigarh's Sector 2, which was raided by the CBI on October 6 evening. In September, he was inducted into the national executive committee of the AAP. His influence was also reflected in the prominence enjoyed by some of his college-time friends. Nitin Gohal, who was raided by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged change-of-land-use scam, reportedly admitted in a statement to the ED that because of his friendship with Ghuman, he assisted him in official work. Another college-time friend, Bir Devinder Ballan, who was also known for his proximity to the government, has been booked by the CBI in the same case. Ghuman has frequently showcased his high-security cover and access to power in social-media reels. After the ED began its probe, he gave a series of interviews to YouTube channels, acknowledging that his friends assisted him in official work and insisting there was nothing wrong with it. "I cannot leave my old friends because of the fear of the ED," he had said. Many tracking the functioning of the Punjab government believe that, over the past year, Ghuman had begun enjoying political clout comparable to that once wielded by Bikram Singh Majithia during the SAD-BJP government under Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal. Now under scrutiny of CBI for his alleged complicity in shady deals on government transfers, postings, policy matters and tenders, Ghuman faces his reckoning that may entangle him in criminal cases. Ghuman didn't respond to HT's message seeking his comment....